The Jungle Book [2016] ★★★

I was no more than 10 years old when my grandfather bought me a VHS copy of the 1967 animated movie “The Jungle Book”. Needless to say, I fell in love with it and would revisit it whenever I had the chance (which was almost everyday at the time). Now Disney is turning this beloved film into a live action movie and the result is nothing short of a triumph. Following in the footsteps of last year’s “Cinderella”, “The Jungle Book” is elegantly produced and well cast. Newcomer Neel Sethi fits perfectly well as Mowgli, the orphan boy who was raised in the jungle by a pack of wolves and a black panther called Bagheera (voiced by the great Ben Kingsley). You know the story by now. But in the hands of director John Favreau, this familar story becomes completely immersive and truly magical. The work of an army of CGI is also exemplary and impeccable; even though our rational mind tells us that none of these animals are real, our moviegoing consciousness tells us otherwise. This version of “The Jungle Book” will put you in a dream like state where reality and imagination come together in a beautiful way. Don’t wait to watch this at home: find the best theater near you, take your kids, your brother, your sister, your parents, and prepare to be taken on a magic carpet ride.